Put a dreary day to good use

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- While sunny days are perfect for fertilizing the lawn, planting flowers and laying mulch, be sure not to waste gray, overcast days, which are great for other DIY projects. One task that can be tackled on a dreary day is prepping and cleaning your deck for upcoming barbecues and get-togethers.

Staining your deck is one of the best ways to protect your investment from the elements, keep it looking nice and make it easier to maintain. However, professional results don’t rely simply on laying down a coat or two of stain – any deck project should start with proper cleaning and preparation. And, while you may want a perfectly sunny weekend to stain your deck, prepping can be done at any time. Below are simple steps from Flood wood care products to help achieve great-looking results that last:

Step Two: Check your surfaces. To ensure your deck is both safe and beautiful, be sure to inspect the area for bad wood, dry rot, loose nails, loose spindles and broken boards. Replace boards as needed and secure any loose nails and spindles.

Step Three: Prepare yourself, the deck and the surrounding area. Make sure you take all safety precautions before embarking on your deck cleaning project. Wear gloves, safety glasses and old clothing – shorts are not recommended. Before starting, cover any areas you want to protect, wet down plants and shrubs, and wet your deck surface with water.

Step Four: Clean, scrub and renew. Work the cleaner into the wood, working from the bottom-up to reduce streaking. Be sure to keep the surface wet with water and let the cleaner stand for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing. Once cleaned, wood should dry for at least 48 hours before applying stain.

The cleaning process for an average-sized (300 to 500 square feet) deck should take approximately five to six hours. The wood care experts at Flood recommend cleaning your deck on a gloomy day since Mother Nature won’t harm your work.

A properly cleaned deck should be stained within 30 days. After 30 days, a light cleaning with bleach and water before staining will do the trick.

For more information on prepping or staining your deck or on Flood products, please visit www.flood.com.